Saturday, June 21, 2014

June 13th

June 13th

After a wonderful nights sleep in our luxurious hotel, a group of us set out on a hike. Dr. Garcia planned on taking us on a path she took 25 years ago, but there had been a landslide that completely shut down that route. Walking there we were able to see the hot springs, which looked more like large hot tubs filled with yellow water. We then embarked on a different trail that began along the river. The river is full of gigantic rocks, making it impossible for any kind of water sport, but I loved the sound of water rushing past the rocks. It almost sounded like we were next to a waterfall.
                We then took a trail that said it led to waterfalls. After holding our breath past the dump, we followed the railroad tracks on a beautiful path through dense greenery. It felt like something out of an adventure movie. As we pushed forward, the scenery became more and more green, until it looked like we were in the jungle. After about an hour, we reached the first waterfall, which was small, but ran all the way down a 100 foot mountain. I climbed up some slippery rocks to get a better view, and when I turned around my group was out of view. After some running through the jungle we were reunited and a couple of us proceeded to the big waterfall. It was beautiful! I had never seen a waterfall before, so I think I was especially excited about it. I could have sat there all day, but we had to make a long trek back for lunch.

                We met back with the whole group at a swimming hole and a couple of us put our feet in the water, which was unbelievably, ice cold. Once we realized that the group was not going to make it back in time for lunch, Kourtney and I ran as much as we could back to the hostel to let the group know that nothing bad had happened. Running through the jungle was very hot and sticky, but it felt satisfying once we made it back. We then went to a fancy lunch buffet that was super delicious, and then spent the rest of our time in Machu Picchu roaming through the market. It was really fun bartering for prices!

                We then took the long train ride home to enjoy our last night in Cusco. A couple of us went to a pizzaria for dinner when we got back. We sipped on hot chocolate and were serenaded by a guitarist. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel, relaxed, and complained about having to leave that beautiful city.  

Cusco

      We walked around the city that was once the capital of the Incan Empire. We saw churches that are now half Spanish on top of half destroyed Incan remains. Outside 3 star hotels women wearing traditional colorful clothing sat  selling alpaca gloves and scarves. We stopped to buy from one and across the street from her a young man making jewelry said something to me. He heard me say “mande?”, and said, “ah you're Mexican.” I learned from him that Mexico and Ecuador are the only Spanish-speaking countries that use mande instead of  “excuse me?” He was from Colombia and he was backpacking his way around South America. As we conversed he made me a ring from a piece of wire, he showed us feathers of bird from the jungle and stones he collected from various parts of South America. My cultural interaction didn’t stop there; almost every vendor asked me where I was from. Some asked me where Mexico was while others compared the Incas to the Aztecs. There were people from all over the world shopping in Cusco. I could hear fragments of every language being spoken. It was beautiful to be part of a crowd that was appreciating and taking from a culture.
      We witnessed the surface of a modern globalizing Cusco from a tourist’s point of view; however we later sat down and got the facts on Cusco. We start off with a city that was the center of a once vast, powerful empire, mix in more than 500 years of colonization and the result is a place left with identity and class clash. The consequence of a growing economy is that few are left with the money. The result of tourism is communities losing traditions while trying to acclimate to “western standards.” Cusco is losing original languages while building cultural barriers. We ended with a chilling but true statement; Cusco is a contradiction.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

June 14

We began the day making plans to visit the local Indian market or experience Cusco for one last time. A group of us hurried through the busy streets only to be surprised by the celebration in Plaza de Armas. The square was packed with tourists and locals looking to enjoy the festival of the Sun or Inti Rayma. We had observed dancers practicing routines the night before at the square and so to see them dressed in colorful traditional attire while they paraded through the crowd was a pleasure. I loved seeing the officials walking around in their suits carrying a colorful manta to represent Cusco's culture.

The San Pedro Indian market was an absolute pleasure to have on our agenda. Narrow walkways lead you to myriad smells to please your senses while you hobbled your way through the congested but amazing market. What interested me the most about the place was how you could look around and feel disconnected from the outside; you could have been in a market in any country with people of all races brushing against you and yet you knew you were in Peru thanks to the elaborate mantas, lucuma juice stands, and the local peasants shopping across from you. Cusco had always seemed too tourist-oriented for me but the market brought back memories of Occongate and our wonderful time in the mountains.

After a greatly satisfying shopping spree, we made our way back to the hotel for lunch. On the way, Mariela pointed out a store with Shah Rukh Khan's (an actor from India) poster hanging on its door--this was certainly the highlight of my day. A city as beautiful as under the sun as it is at night with houses lighting up the backdrop of Plaza de Armas, Cusco is forever inviting with warmth through its food and culture.

We were back in Lima for the evening where UARM students organized a quick display of their talents for us. From music bands to folk dances, we were entertained and given a chance to glance at the influence history has had on them. The folk dances stayed true to the indigenous culture with certain routines displaying Spanish influences while their contemporary counterpart--the bands--displayed how the present generation is no different from those in other countries. I feel one often views another country from a standpoint of an outsider looking in to experience the exotic. Though one finds the new and unknown, one forgets that these kids, especially those in the cities, grew up listening to pop or metal or rock like us. Our romanticized ideas expect them to be fantastical and I'm thankful that our group wasn't ethnocentric to have similar expectations. The students displayed the evolution of culture and how the new and old live on together.

The night was dimmed by the color of goodbyes and new facebook friends requests as we prepared for our last day in the country. We intend to take back the warmth and love the country offered us while we cherish each day and each new friend Peru gave us. 

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

June 12th - Machu Picchu

        Today was an absolutely mind blowing experience. We went on our visit to the the Inka's City Machu Picchu. It is located in the highland jungle which is also called the cloud forest. Because we were visiting in the dry season especially, it was foggy and humid. The name itself means all mountain but the famous professor that rediscovered this site referred to it as the lost city of the inkas. 
        The pictures help to show that they believe no more than 500 people lived there and the main owners were an aristocrat royal family. The land used to be full of vegetation and everything was based around farming  and agriculture. One significant site that we were unable to take part in was the magnificant trail. This trail was discocered as being the best example of an Incan trail. They also present the ceremonial rock in the exhibit which archeaologists found different types of rock within it in which the Incans believed it gave off a sacred energy.
        The first step of the Incas to build this was leveling. They were masters of artchitecture and would fit there types of sculpting to the sides of the mountain. They would only carve three sides of the rock when building in order to leave the top of the rock to fit the shape of the next one placed. They worshiped the nature and thought of the eartth as their mother. To worship afterlife, caves were known as the uterus of the mother and tombs were built inside those caves. The person was embalmed and it was important to keep them after they passed away.
        The pictures or videos that one may look at online of Machu Picchu will never do it justice. Its not only what you see but what you experience and stepping foot on this site was a magnificant experien
ce.   The vibe and the feeling that one can gain just from being in that place leaves you breathless. I would recommend everyone and anyone to take the chance to experience such an overwhelming place and see what once was.
Overview of The Incan City

The Result of Walls Breaking Down

Reflection Mirrors

Doorway Entrance

The Palace

Leaving Peru - A Time to Reflect

I'm not entirely sure what happened earlier on our last day in Peru, as it was one of the only sleep-in days we had on the trip, and I took that chance to heart. The morning and afternoon were spent showering, packing, and preparing to go. Some of the group did some last minute shopping (both for souvenirs and Inka Kola), or did one more museum stop. Some of us (myself included) simply relaxed at the hostel and watched TV in Spanish. After dinner, we indulged in one last debriefing, reflecting on our views of our cultural experience, as well as our experience with each other. We arrived at the airport somewhat early, around 8 (our flight didn't leave until close to midnight). Despite the excellent job I feel we did in experiencing and immersing ourselves into the culture, it seems we finally had to give in - there was both a McDonald's and a Papa John's Pizza in the terminal, and it was nice to have that first taste of home. The flight back into the States was uneventful, and I for one am glad to be home, bringing this knowledge and experience with me. But these two paragraphs hardly make for an interesting final blog, now do they? I thought so too, so I asked my classmates to help me with this one. We all had to write two blogs about our time in Peru, but I wanted to know (and wanted to share) even more. So I asked: what was your favorite part of the trip? Your least favorite? What did you learn? What did you miss out on, or what did you feel could have been different? These our are final reflections: (responses to come)

Day Before Departure

After our days in the wondrous Machu Picchu we are back in Cusco. As our day of departure comes closer we rush to take in as much of Perú as we can, including its beautiful products. Following a delicious breakfast that served one of my favorite drinks, jugo de maracuyá, we headed off to the San Pedro market. On our way to the market we came across the previas de Inti Raymi in the Plaza de Armas. Inti Raymi is an important celebration done during the Inca Empire and still done today. This celebration, in honor of Inti, the Incan sun god welcomed the winter solstice.

Upon arriving to the market, one was able to find an assortment of clothing, jewelry, and foods. Here everyone set up shop tightly together. The pathways allowed for a crowded flow of people with constant elbow bumping. Staring at an array of colors coming from the decorative Peruvian fabrics I was faced with more options than I wanted to have. I was finally able to buy a couple of mantas, which I had been eyeing ever since our arrival to Cusco. Many others bought mantas too. As we finished the rest of our shopping we headed back to meet the others for lunch and soon after we flew back to Lima.

In Lima we had dinner and headed off to one of UARM's musical arts show. We enjoyed some music by student rock bands. My personal favorite however, was the Marinera; a traditional Peruvian dance which I first fell in love with at Brisas de Titicaca.

As our last night in Perú was coming to an end we made plans with some UARM students to meet after the show. When we arrived back at the hostel and everyone was getting ready I called for a taxi to take us to Miraflores. We reached our destination with minimal difficulties so I guess my instructions were well given. I'm not very good with directions so I was proud of myself.

We spent the rest of our night with a splendid group of people. I could not have asked for a friendlier more inviting group to have spent one of my last moments in Perú with. The UARM students were truly fun and kind. I only hope one day they have the opportunity to visit us in Omaha so we can return the favor.
Unpacking a Packed Trip - June 15th

Ancient civilizations, Colonial Spain, Chinese immigration, The Republic, contaminated water, CCAIJO, museums, Jesuit Baroque Churches, liberation theology, Latin America social policy, futbol, salsa, hiking, Lima, highlands, municipality, jungle, hospitals, and new friends. These are only a handful of themes that I experienced while studying abroad in Peru with UNO in Summer 2014. 

Today at the Hotel was a day to pack my belongings and to enter into the earliest stage of unpacking the trip. As I rubbed the sleep dust from my eyes the Lima sun greeted me through the open window and a coastly breeze hugged me as it swirled up my stuffed nostrils and maneuvered through my forested arm pits. As I stretched my limbs I immediately was confronted with an explosion of dirt stained T-Shirts, red boxers, and holy socks spilling out onto my Hotel floor; in a similar way history, culture, and public health wandered in a scattered chronological fashion in my brain. At the soonest opportunity I began to organize my luggage by rolling up each piece of clothing and placing it in the correct compartment: dirty clothes in the bottom, clean clothes toward the top, delicate souvenirs on my carry-on luggage, and toiletries in the side pockets. In a similar way I began the first stages of making sense out of the entire experience by setting up mental categories in my brain, "the Machu Pichu visit can go under culture, working with Felipe can go under community engagement, visiting the hospital can go under public health, working with CCAIJO last Wednesday can generally go under culture, the debriefing that so-and-so shared at the first debriefing can be placed under public health.. Or should that be under community engagement?" This was my thinking process.

After hearing Mass at the nearby Catholic Church Dr. Claudia and I went back to the hotel and met up with the other early risers where we ate jelly con pan. The other students and I were informed that except for a debriefing after dinner the itinerary for today was wide open with opportunities to shop, go to the museum, or just to hang out at the hotel. I choose the latter in order to read a book that I was craving to read, "Our Lady of Fatima." I noticed in this book how the children who claimed to see a miracle were ridiculed by city dwellers as, "highlanders." As I reflected on this I realized that the main focus of this trip was on the "indigenous highlanders" or to be more general, on the people of the highlands. It made me understand how we looked at these human beings though the lens of culture, public health, and community engagements, and how these different lenses allowed for us to see a dynamic that normally would not be clearly visible.

At dinner we had our fourth successful debriefing with green mystery meat and rice. Some people in the group shared their experience with the water plant, others about the native dances, but I shared my last chance of debriefing about the Catholic Church in Latin America. The Church has a long history in Latin America starting with the Spanish in the 1500's in which the Church worked closely with the State to bring a new belief system to the Native Latin American population. On this study abroad trip I've experienced my first insights into liberation theology, I saw a similar mixture of Indigenous and Catholic Churches in the indigenous populated regions as I saw in Guatemala, and I had a few great discussions on Church teachings. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that although the Church has largely shaped Western Civilization and has a history of flourishing in these types of environments (see Lima), the Church (as it claims to be One, Holy, and Apostolic) should be able to flourish in any type of Civilization that permits free expression of religion. To bring this conclusion back to the understanding of the men and women who populate the highlands, orthodoxy and cultural tradition can always find common ground, but it takes humility, generosity, and peace from those who teach and those who choose to practice.

To change the subject to a lighter note, Peru Study Abroad 2014 was ultimately a success. We all had our ups and downs (for a handful of us certain things came up that aren't supposed to go up and certain things went down in odd ways), but the changes in physical health, emotions, or time can never take away what we've learned. Memory is something that binds human beings together into a family and the 13 of us will always share the memory of Peru 2014.


Monday, June 16, 2014

June 9th

Once done with our morning routine, the group walked down to the Municipality of Ocongate. There we had the mayor of the city, Armando Quipe talk to us about the changing development of the district. He opened by talking about the kinds of  projects they hold and how different it has become in the past few years. Ever since the highway was built, eight years ago, there has been an increase to economic production, yet Quipe insists that there should be a process where the city needs to rethink the social aspect. With the roads being built education has also been on the rise, still sixty percent of the money that is invested towards an education is being used for infrastructure, technology, and libraries. Along with education for children, the district educates adults on agriculture, which was the highest form of work fifteen years ago, animal husbandry, textiles, forestation, weather, health and reducing, reusing and recycling.
After listening to Armando Quipe talk, we headed out with Cipieus Alarco Espinoza to a landfill and recycling center. From my life, I have never been to a landfill anywhere, but do remember someone telling me that the United States’ major export is trash because it does not do the best job in getting rid of trash. Unfortunately, with the highway opening more waste was created for the workers in the landfill. When I heard about the thirty four cities the workers of the landfill attend to it made me want to at the very least give them beverages and snacks. The workers sort through each and every piece of trash from the two to three tons they receive from the surrounding areas for four to five hours…daily.
Earlier in the day at the Municipality of Ocongate Armando Quipe had told us that it starts within the communities, where mostly women separate through inorganic and organic waste and recyclable and non-recyclable waste, as well. This helps by keeping contamination out of the natural world. According to Quipe, where there is a higher populated village in the district of Ocongate, the trash pick-up service comes every week and a village with a lower concentration of people comes every two weeks.
Something I was not in agreement with at first was that the landfill also deals with health care, educational, and gas station waste. After listening to Espinoza saying that they know how much of a threat it is to the environment and it is the only ‘safe’ way in Ocongate to handle the materials I came into terms with them. My favorite thing I saw at the dump was the way they used plastic and glass bottles as ornaments. Another thing I really liked seeing was the compost area they had created with the organic waste.
Espinoza had said that the way they deal with toxins was very efficient, and I could see its ups and downs with the process, especially since it was the first time I was ever at a landfill and recycling place. So what they do is separate items by different categories, like rubber, batteries, organic/inorganic, recyclable/non-recyclable, plastic, etc. Whatever cannot be recycled or is not a battery is then thrown into the landfill. After being thrown in, there is a pipe that runs to another part in the landfill where there is filtration system for liquid to run downs to. Then the liquid that has traveled to the area is kept there for some time until some of it evaporates itself, whatever liquid is left is toxic and placed back into the first landfill it came from and sealed with melted glass and cement. Sometimes the workers may deal with abortions, too; where then they have to contact authorities. The problem with the garbage disposal area is that they will have to move to a new part in less than 15 years.
            When finished with the waste plant we hopped back into the bus and went down to the reforestation area near the city of Ocongate. Here we learned that with the reforestation project they have started to plant more exotic trees than native trees, but why is that? Espinoza told us that exotic trees like pine and eucalyptus are both for economic and ecological use while reducing CO2 emissions; while native trees like chacocumo, I believe is what they were called, are more for economic reasons and the production of wood. The best part about the reforestation project, I think, is that the workforce is made up of both genders. Unfortunately, from my understanding the workers only are constantly changing every two months due to a signed contract.
            The process starts in one of the seventeen greenhouses they have around the Ocongate area. Exotic trees are usually there for two years and native trees are kept for longer periods because they take more time to grow. Depending on the greenhouse and plant bed most can hold up to 250,000 trees at a greenhouse and 2,500 in a plant bed, and once they are 30-40 centimeters long they are able to be taken out. A pine can start having mushrooms growing around the base creating another economic growth after five years of being planted. When the eucalyptus is around six or seven years of age it can also start seeding the land near the plant itself. These trees were carefully selected and imported into Peru from the United States, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe. Because exotic trees can have an economic growth in the district after 10 or 15 years Ocongate relies on these more than native trees because they take 45 or more years to grow. Still, Espinoza claimed that both exotic and native trees are resistant to diseases and is why they keep on planting these certain trees. What I found interesting at the reforestation plant was how they flooded the native trees, because if you look around the country it is very dry and desert-like.
            Water is an importance to trees, as well as for humans that is where we went next, the water treatment plant of Ocongate. This was the most difficult part of the day for most of us. Though we didn't have to go through three different checkpoints, the hike was enough for someone who was trying to get to the water plant. Ocongate’s water treatment plant isn't even comparable to Lima’s. Espinoza said that there is at least one person at the plant 24/7.
            At the plant we listened to how the process was, and it is very simple, and seems much faster than Lima’s. First the water from the top of the hill/mountain falls down and gets collected into a reservoir. Then it goes into the water plant itself and goes through two “fast” filters. The filters are filled with different sized gravel. What I understood was that the bigger sized gravel was at the bottom, and the finer sized gravel was at top of the filter. Once done with the "fast" filters it runs through a third filter where the flocculant is collected and separated. Chlorine is then added to the water and tested to see if it is good for the public. After this process it is then injected with aluminum oxide so it can travel through pipes easily without causing corrosion to pipes. I like that it is only working at around fifty percent of what it can, but the problem is that there is still not enough water from the ecosystem to ration to all the people of the Ocongate District. Especially when Dr. Garcia and Dr. Davis told us about a tiny pipe where only about the amount of water that is sucked through a straw drains into the reservoir at the bottom of the water plant. 

June 10th

Our (cold) day started off with a meeting at the Ocongate District Municipality with Rene Gonzales, head of the social work department. He told us about Ocongate's health, education, and security. We were informed that the social work department works with the ministry of health to provide things such as beds and blankets for the clinic. Only Cusco has specialized medical professionals, so any major health cases must be taken by land to there. Elsewhere, clinics are staffed more by nurse technicians. Sr.Gonzales mentioned that the city has been building their local clinic for two years now, and it was supposed to be finished last November. This delay is mainly due to lack of support from the local government. They have started having roundtable discussions about childhood malnutrition though, because only 5% of children in the area are okay in their nutrition.

Ocongate has one police station for 18,000 people, staffed with only five officers. I find this crazy to think about, but the communities also do a lot of work and are an important factor too. The community has a civil defense, similar to FEMA here in the United States, to help with hail, rain, and snow damage that can damage property and kill livestock. However, their assistance is limited due to their budget. I found it interesting that they don't have seasons like ours. From December through April is their rainy season; from May through July is their cold season; from August through December is their windy season. None of these seem like fun seasons to me.

It has been discovered that the more education that the mother of a family has, there is a decrease in her kids' malnutrition. Thus, in Huacatinco, there is an early childhood center which we got to visit. The drive there was intense with narrow roads and steep cliffs on mountain sides that kept us all on our toes. All over the walls of this building are informational posters, such as how to breastfeed, how to wash your hands properly, and warning signs in infants. There is also a "talking map" which showcases where every family lives in the community. This helps the workers keep track of who is pregnant and has how many kids and where so that they can visit families in order to give them help. On Fridays, this center would receive about 50 kids and cook for them. Having these children come to the center gives them time with toys that they otherwise would not have and a chance to socialize to prepare them for school later on in their lives. There's a padded floor as well so that it isn't so hard or cold for all of the little ones crawling around. Although there were only a few children there when we visited, they all seemed to be having a great time.

To help tie together traditional practices and modern medicine for child birth, mamawasis have been created. These are like hospitals but more like a mother's home, with accommodations to allow the mother to give birth in the traditional squatting position. The husband is allowed to be there as well, and the midwives would only step in when necessary to protect the mother and the baby. With these accommodations, mothers are much more likely to go to a mamawasi to give birth, instead of the traditional way at home with only the husband present. I think this is great for families, especially the mother and child, as it can drastically decrease the chances of mother or child being harmed.

This day also consisted of a group discussion/debriefing that lasted several hours, although it did not feel that way. We connected what we had discussed previous to this trip to what we had seen so far. While huddled around the fire in a half-circle, many great ideas were thrown around. We also mentioned potential lies that we could have been told by lecturers or government officials during our stay, which led to an intriguing discussion with many critiques. I certainly enjoyed the bright thoughts that were continuously bounced around. It was a great ending to such a chilly day.

Artesanía, Inequality, and Health

After a long bus ride back into Cusco, we were given the afternoon to explore some of the city.  Dr. Garcia accompanied three other students and myself to a museum of Pre-Columbian art.  The artifacts were stunning, but the descriptions of each item were nearly as interesting.  The captions continually referenced the “modernity” of the Chimu  culture, even the “vanguard” Mochica who were “Picassoesque.”  Dr. Garcia observed that these cultures and their artwork only seem to possess value when they resemble our contemporary reality.  They are without worth in their own right and are legitimated only by associatation with modern, occidental standards.

Ironically, the very descendants of the Pre-Columbian Picassos are some of the most denigrated members of Peruvian society.  Even though they continue the artistic traditions of their forbears, their work is more often referred to as "artesanía"--something akin to "arts and crafts."  Through the promotion of their culture in the face of continued inequality, it seems as though they are being treated as the unfortunate relics of a bygone era.  This inequality is alive and well in healthcare, as we learned during a lecture later that evening.  

In the Cusco department there are less than 10 doctors per 10,000 residents, though the distribution of these doctors is largely confined to the city.  Most physicians do not speak Quechua and thus lack the ability to connect with many of their patients.  However, positive movements seem to be afoot.  Birthing centers are being built as a concession to traditional obstetrics, all the while keeping women closer to medical facilities in the case of emergencies.  We have spoken with many who are very concerned with promoting human dignity through a greater respect for language and culture.  And yet, as I sit as judge of the Peruvian system, I am reminded of the shortcomings of our own structures.  In what ways has western medicine clashed with communities in the United States?  How does this effect the efficacy of care?  

Having worked in public health in the U.S., I know that we too must grow in our understanding of the diverse populations that are treated by American providers.  Recognizing the problem is, in itself, a challenge; but it is made easier by having stepped outside of our context to observe the ways in which Peruvians are seeking to address their standards of care.  

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Day 9: Ocongate

Today we had the opportunity to have the mayor talk with us about the problems that the district of Ocongate is facing and the measures they are implementing to improve these conditions.  It was really interesting to talk with such a powerful figure in the community and see what the higher powers are planning to do about the public in terms of health and betterment.  He mentioned many things we have talked about, such as dairy production in terms of families beginning to raise cows for milk and cheese, as well as the change from potato production to pastoral focuses, including cows, sheep, alpacas and llamas, and cuyes (guinea pigs for consumption).  Even with the increase from 2 thousand litres a day to 13 thousand litres a day in milk production, it does not meet the demand of dairy products.  He also mentioned how not only are they working to create better quality products in terms of dairy and wool production, but products that might be introduced to exportation from the country.  As well as the demand of dairy products, the demand for cuyes is still not met, even though the dramatic growth seen in the last few years has shown the potential for meeting the demand.

He also talked about the plan of reforestation in and around the community, since the climate change (especially in regards to global warming) is such a powerful factor in the high altitudes of Ocongate and its surrounding districts.  The plan is to have all the hills and mountains green with trees in ten years, creating not only positive ecological and environmental effects, but an increase in the economy.  These trees have benefits not only of wood production, but a nutritional mushroom that grows in conjuction with the pine trees planted in this reforestation.

Lastly he mentioned the trash service Ocongate has implemented.  There is a recycling center that manually separates all the inorganic from organic waste, and recycles each accordingly, protecting the water and environment from wastes and contamination.

We visited that later today, the recycling center first.  I think it was interesting to see the actual manual and physical labor these workers have to go through to separate all the trash since the individual communities have no segregation of recycled materials and trash materials, and I feel that if they implemented such a change it would not only be easier on the workers, but the center itself, making it more specialized in one type of waste removement.  However, the center seemed very clearly and simply run in an efficient way to minimize the waste left in the communities.  They also mentioned that the ministry of education is implementing the idea of recycling in public schools, although it is in its first stages with no real impact yet.

Next we were informed about the forestation and could see the main impacts it had.  I think the most important impact forestation has is it´s opportunity for jobs.  Many people are migrating out of the little cities like Ocongate and moving into larger cities like Cusco in search of jobs.  However the idea of forestation not only has good ecological impacts, since more CO2 will be pulled out of the air, but it also creates jobs and motivation for the individuals to remain in the smaller cities and work for the betterment of themselves and the cities.  Going along with the forestation we visited the site where the exotic and native plants grow.  The native plants are good to keep because they are native, but they also do not have as great an economical impact as the exotic plants.  These exotic plants include eucalyptus and pine trees.  It was interesting to see the raising of these plants and hear how the process to grow, transport, and raise these plants took place.  Again, as a job opportunity, people in the community are hired at this site, and are given the basic instructions on how to look after and raise the tree, and after two months the contract of working there is retired.  However these people already have the knowledge of taking care of these plants, and are in charge after the transportation process of replanting the trees and raising them to be healthy.  Some of the benefits include wood for construction and the mushrooms that grow around the pine trees that contain such a great nutritional value, which helps fight the malnutrition common in Peru´s indigenous communities.

 Lastly, we visited the water treatment plant after lunch to see and compare this plant to Lima´s.  Unlike the heavy security in Lima, this plant just had a small hike up a slightly steep hill to reach, and was only three small tanks; the first and second tank were filtration systems simply, and the third was a final filtration and chlorinated tank to add a last filtration session to the water before being sent to the resevoirs.  I think the most interesting part however was the availability of the water.  In Lima we saw that the company would send the water to the resevoirs and they were, more or less, always available.  However in Ocongate, the water is available full time until the months of July through November, or the dry season.  Because of the water shortage during these dry months, the water is only available to the community as a whole for four hours a day, which I feel is not only unbelieveable, but not healthy.  Although there is not much I think the district can do about it with the shortage during the dry season, it seems unbelievable that this is a measure they need to take.

After today, it was interesting to see all the different ways Ocongate is trying to better its community in people, in measures of ecological and economical impacts. I think it´s interesting to draw comparisons, like the one in the water system from Lima to Ocongate.  I feel that this trip has shown me the luxury we are given in the United States.

This day was a successful learning, and we got to have a few hours at the end to relax.

written by : Kali McKenzie

Day 7

          I woke up under four blankets in a district a couple of hours away from Cusco, called Ocongate. Ocongate is located 3,500 meters above sea level. As we experienced firsthand, the temperature can get below 7 C. The sky gets pitch black at around six, and the cold breeze cuts through our layers of clothing. The morning is almost as cold, but the temperature rises with the sun. After eating breakfast, Santos gave us a couple of statistics about Ocongate. It helped us visualize the impact CCAIJO has made on the families we were going to visit.
           We headed up to the highlands to visit Felipe and his family. We learned that four years ago he only owned a few cows that only provided him with 1.5 L of milk per day. He didn't have enough money so he would have to go down to work in a mining factory. He would leave his wife and two daughters at home alone for periods longer than 30 days. Little by little he started earning and saving to buy more cows. CCAIJO helped him not only get more cows, but also a different type that provides him with up to 10 L of milk per day. CCAIJO also teaches him how to feed his cows, what to fed them and even how to check their health
          Felipe was very proud to shows us his home and his cattle. He is already planning on building a stable for his cows so that they have their own place to drink and eat. I believe Felipe is working very hard to make that happen. His income to provide for his family depends on his cattle, therefore he is being smart in accepting help. However I noticed he does not completely depend on CCAIJO. CCAIJO has provided their assistance, but it is Felipe's determination to prosper that moves his business forward .
         Felipe and his wife made us wathia, a traditional form of cooking for the highlanders. They dig a hole in the ground, fill it with a variety of potatoes, cover it with grass and manure and let it collapse to cook the potatoes. The potatoes were warm and tender. They are typically eaten with cheese however by the time we were ready to eat, the cheese had already been taken down to the market. We also brought up some bread that we fed to the cats and roosters. The scenery from high in the mountains was majestic. There were enourmous brown hills, with patches of yellow grass and green trees. There were also mountains peaks covered with snow, they were so high that they pierced through the clouds. 
        We then visited 1 of the 12 cheese production plants in Ocongate. The family who owns this plant, talked about the process of making cheese and yogurt. At the end, the family stamps their last name on the cheese in order for it to be recognized at the market. Later during dinner, Dr. Garcia mentioned seeing their brand, Killalac, while shopping for cheese. 

Monday, June 9, 2014

June 6th

After another lovely breakfast provided by the facility, we took a short walk through Ocangate and saw people setting up for the big  Sunday market. We then took the bus to a small region where we were able to observe the process of cuy (guinea pig) farming. We found out that they are called cuy, because apparently that is the sound that they make! Gregorio Flores, who ran the Cuy farm,  and his two daughters showed us around the farm and explained what they do, focusing on how Ccaijo has helped them improve their cuy production.

The cuys are kept in separate 4X4 pens in an enclosed building. The roof is made out of a translucent plastic so that the heat from the sun is able to warm the building. Additionally, the radio is going at all times because it helps the cuys become used to hearing human voices. Gregorio explained to us that cuys are very nervous and anxious animals, and there was only one that were were allowed to touch because it had been used to be handled by humans. There were about 7-15 cuys in each little pen, and there were a lot of little baby cuys. Some of the females were so huge, they looked like they could give birth at any moment!

He then showed us his other pen, which contained a different breed of cuy. They looked like what I would call "rockstar cuys" because their hair was long and wild and hanging in their eyes. There were also some cuys allowed to run loose in this pen because they eat/clean all the food that escapes the pens. He explained that the meat from the two different breeds is the same, but that they breed this kind in order to enter them in show contests.

We then headed to a market in a very small town called Tinke. This market was very different from what I had expected or was used to seeing. The other markets in Lima and Cusco were very geared towards the tourists, but these markets featured goods at the most basic level. Nearly everything being sold there was strictly for the population living in that region. They had products including rolls of yard, basic sandals, tons of food, house cleaning products, soccer balls...etc. Though the only thing that interested us was the food, it was very interesting to see the goods that they use to make their own clothes or use for their daily living. We tried an ice cream cone (one of us may have tried two), and the Peruvian donut. The ice cream was okay, but I really loved the donut. It was like a mix between a donut and a funnel cake, and they covered it with a delicious mystery liquid.

We then made our way back to the Ocangate market, which was very similar. More basic needs products and food. Me, Kira, and Greg went off on our own and bought some cow heart. They just grill it in a street on a Kabob with a potato, and it was only 1 sol (like 45 cents)!!! It was so delicious and probably the best food I have tried here in Peru. We then went to upstairs in the indoor market, passing by numerous dead and butchered animals, and stopped at a booth that made drinks. We ordered a mango and orange smoothie, and the woman litterally ran downstairs and bought us fresh fruit to make it with. It was the best smoothie I have ever had.

Afterwards, we went and had lunch with the group and then Greg, Kali and I met with Santos for an interview about Ccaijo and the project that we will be doing for this class. The interview was completely in Spanish, so I may not have caught everything we talked about. He talked about Ccaijo and their mission, as well as their needs. Right now they have a very high demand of community members who want their help, but they do not have the adequate funds to support the demands. We then spoke with him about beneficial project options to share with the group.

After the meeting we got on the bus and traveled to another cuy farm ran by a man named Mario. The work that Ccaijo had done here was much more elaborate. They used a bio-digestor, consisting of cuy poop and a legume plant, and chicha, which produces methane gas that they collect. The gas collects in a large, plastic collecting sack, and is then moved (via piping) to a smaller storage sack. The gas from the storage sack is used to heat the cuy unit and provide gas for the kitchen. Heating the cuy farm is very important, because the cuy grow lager and faster when they are in a comfortable environment and do not need to burn calories. The first large gass collector also contains a liquid and solid, which is used to fertilize a small garden just next to it.

He then showed us his kitchen and dining room. He had separate cabinents for fruits, vegetables, and meat that were kept cool with a cold bowl of water. They also had a gas burner that they were able to ignite using the gas from the biodegrader, but he said that the fire does not burn not enough due to the poor quality of the gas. Santos said they are seeking professional advising to explore ways to improve the gas quality. Another amazing thing we got to see what his craft room. He has an intricate weaving machine, which allows him to produce two large blankets a day. He said that the men usually weave the bigger items because it takes more strength, and the females do smaller items like scarves. The maching is very hard to explain, but it is run by two pedals with a memory design at the top. This design takes three days to set up, but it is reusable for multiple products.

Upon returning to the hotel, we played a group game called, "Celebrity," which is a mix of charades and catch phrase. We wrote down phrases or words to describe moments from the trip and split into two teams. We took turns trying to guess these phrases using either only words, movements, or sounds. It was a fun bonding experience and it allowed us to reflect on the memorable moments of the trip. Most of them were funny or embarrassing, but luckily our group is full of great sports. We then had dinner and discussed our group project some more and called it a night.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

June 6th

     With a good night sleep under our belts in the luxurious hotel in Cusco, we were all ready to begin our journey up into the mountains. We received a wonderful breakfast from the hotel staff before we took an adventure through the city of Cusco to look for a spot for money exchange. On our walk, we passed through a protest or strike from the doctors on healthcare taking place in the Plaza de Armas. They marched around the main square chanting against the lies of the government. Although we may have got a little lost on our way back, Brittany was able to lead us back to the hotel and we loaded the bus to take off for the Andahuaylillas.
     On our winding drive through the mounatins, we passed through a town of the name I cannot recall where the adobe used for bulding the houses around here is made. We then were dropped off at our final destination, where we received a presntation on the organization of CCAIJO and the services they provide. They are a social services program that are basically located throughout the country. They are always sure to focus on the most vulnerable adult population and have the main goal of providing traning and education skills that can be translated into empowerment, as well as give autonomy to the people.
     The next part of our day was spent exploring a few of the churches in the region that have been in the process of being restored. Our first tour was given from the director of architecture herself who is in the process of working with the church architecutre and the restoration. It was the Church of St. Peter the Apostle which was built in 1610 and has been in the process of being restored for the last 4 years. They restore the temple in the best way they can  in order to try and preserve as much of the original as possible. One of the techniques they use for the paintings and murals can undo the restored process that took place and reveal the original again. The walls of the beginning of the temple are covered in the saints and reveal the way that their lives were taken. A doorway on the side of the church called the door of the souls leads to what used to be the graveyard. Another interesting concept that was moving to the workers in the process of restoring the church happened when they were peeling back old paint. Underneath was the original that no one has seen since the 18th century. We also visited the Church of St. John the Baptist of Huaro, as well as the Chapel of Canincunca on our way up to Ocongate.
     Before heading to the place where we were staying that night, we stopped in Ccatcca to visit and learn about houses that have been improved thanks to CCAIJO. The biggest aspect and concern were the improved kitchens and bathrooms and the skills that were taught. In the kitchen, they were able to designate a corner spot for the fridge in order to keep everything cooler. They also had cupboards now for cups and plates which is unusual as most are likely kept on the floor. A sink with warm water had been put in place along with a wood burning system to heat the pipes to the sink and shower. An oven to cook was also put in their home where the smoke was taken out through the chimney. For the bathroom, they a had shower so that each member of the family could bath regularly which was not custom in the community. It was very moving to hear about how much CCAIJO has done for the family and how grateful they were to recieve these things along with education to keep their selfs along with their family afloat.
     Once it began to get dark, we departed to the CCAIJO facility we were staying at in Ocongate. We took one last stop, however, for dinner at Cuyuni´s lookout. It was an awesome experience to see the stars up on the mountains. It also has been very welcoming to recieve the type of hospitality we have from all the people of every place we have had the pleasure to visit.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

June 5: Cusco

We arrived in Cusco to be taken to a beautiful hotel ensured to spoil us. In comparison to Lima, Cusco was quieter with pebble laid roads displaying the city´s heritage at every turn. Our first stop for the city´s walking tour was the main square--Plaza de Armas. Surrounded by cathedrals, what stood out was the abundance of "rainbow" colored flags. One, as some of us did, could assume that the people of Cusco are proud to be supportive of LGBTQ rights. However, we were later told that the flag had its origins in Incan beliefs where rainbow is considered a deity and hence used to represent the empire. The flag, therefore, is justly used for Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire.

The cathedrals mentioned before were built on Incan palaces or places of worship when the Spanish took over the region. The foundations of some of the structures still maintain its original Incan walls with stones carved to fit together. Beside the Jesuit church at the square was the city´s only public university. The square is significant for its history and is known as the “Square of the warrior”. Incans believed to have used the square for religious purposes as they covered it with sand thereby bringing the ocean to their empire. Sacrifices were made during the Winter Solstice to celebrate the Sun´s feast. Ironically, this is also where Cusco was won over by Francisco Pizarro.

Next came the climb to a hill to observe the city´s layout while we also observed the several influences on the city´s architecture. One can distinctly identify doors belonging to different eras; what made it more interesting was the history surrounding those variations. More doors represented the Spanish while a few had Incan influences owing to the Incan slaves used to build them.

Incans believed in three worlds or realms—the sky, where the Gods lived, the underworld, where the dead go, and the living world, the earth. The three were represented by condor, snake, and puma or jaguar respectively. Incan architecture and pottery shows influences drawn from the three animals. Cusco is set up in the shape of puma with its every part corresponding to an equally important structure. For example, the genitals of the puma was the location of Qooricancha or the temple of the Sun.

Our visit to the Sun temple revealed the brilliance of Incan empire. The temple is now occupied by Dominican nuns. Structures were usually of trapezoidal shape making them aseismic.  They also had canals for water in the temple. The way stones where placed over each other also reveals the time period the structure belongs to. Some of the stones at the temple displayed holes where metal was placed to hold stones together in certain structures. This is in accordance with the belief that Incans were not originally from the area for that technique belonged to a certain indigenous tribe. As we previously were informed about the ability of Incans to negotiate and make peace with multiple tribes that enabled their empire to be built in a short period, the visit cemented history while displaying smooth engulfment of multiple cultures.


Cusco takes you for a ride across time and cultures as you walk through it. One can see the influences the “outside” has had on it through us having pizza for dinner while listening to soulful indigenous music. Cusco tied together what the history we read with the history we saw. The square remains a place for irony as it has throughout history; while the city prepared for the Sun´s feast, some of us witnessed a strike at the same spot.
This entry is for our fourth day in Peru June 4 2014.


This fourth day in Peru was a mixture of traveling, looking much more closely at the Peruvian public health system, spending time with Peruvian college students, and getting lost. I woke up this beautiful Wednesday in Lima Peru with an accumulative 20 hours of sleep in the last 5 days (according to my estimation). Dr. Davis and I walked through the buzzing steets of Lima (I was sleep walking) in order to find a 7 o clock mass to start the day off the day on the right foot. Unfortunately, we could not find the church until after mass was over, but to our pleasant surprise, we were just late enough to catch the Dunkin Donuts empoyee setting out donuts which we purshased for the group (the donuts were noticeably set out at a later time than the usual 6am in Omaha Nebraska).

After we stuffed our faces with a delcious combination of glazed sugar and doughy goodness the 13 of us loaded our tired bodies on the bus to turn our attention to the Peruvian water plant. At this utopia styled water sanitation plant (I call it Utopia because the lucious green grass, overwhelming ammount of sprinklers, and the facility operated futbol field) we were given an educational tour of how all of the water for the 8 million people in Lima Peru is sanitized. I will not go into the nitty gritty of the details for the sake of the reader´s attention, but essentially the water that flows from the Andes is seperated into two different locations, a filter is placed to remove rocks (and a surprisingly sad ammount of dead bodies), the water is then treated with chlorine, then there is a specific treatment for microbiology and metallic compounds, and after a few more sanitation treatments the water is then approved by stringent guidelines and is pumped through the pipes as water that is 100% drink ready to be used by Peruvian inhabitants. Keep in mind that the source this information is coming from is a worker in the water plant.

To continue this discussion on Public Health, we left the Utopia water plant and traveled just outside of Lima to Ate. This area outside of Lima was a desert situated in a valley of tall dirt mounds. Houses are semilegally built and break almost all of the building codes we would use in the United States. In Ate we came to the conclusion that the water coming through the pipes in these shantee-like homes is not 100% drink ready. Our source to this conclusion is from water testing done by UNO´s group last year which showed certain undesired microbiology. Water resivoirs in Ate are located at the top of this dirt covered valley and are surrounded by thick stone fences and barbed wire (giving the look of a high security prison). Water in Ate is so scarce that there are grassroot efforts to attempt to recycle the water. Here I should also note that there is no water recycling practiced in Lima which means that as soon as the snow capped Ande mountains have melted there will be no water.

After this experience in Ate we went to the public hospital where we saw the Peruvian Healthcare system in action. Lines of aching people dripped out of the doors. We were informed that the majority of those receiving care were poor people under government operated healthcare. We were fortunate enough to speak to the director of the hosptial, and we were informed that the hospital is changing its focus from infectious diseases to chronic illness, there is a lack of professionals to cover the need of care, and 40% of the population is enemic.

After a day of abundant information on the public health system of Peru our group of students was able to unwind and attend a dance with the students from UARM. Together we refined our sharp Latin American dance skills (which I should note the majority of us acquired for the first time last night) and we loosened our United States-ian hips to the beat of cumbian music. Inbetween the cumbian music there was a live performance of professional Peruvian dancers who touched on native dances from Puno and Cusco as well as the National Dance of Peru - the marinera.

Overall, the day was exhausting and some of us missed out on certain experiences (sorry Jose), but it was a time of abundant social and educational experiences.


Friday, June 6, 2014

Day 5: Cusco


                Yesterday marked our first day in Cusco.  After an early flight, we made our way to the hotel, dropped off our luggage, ate lunch, and toured the city center.  Our first stop was the Plaza de Armas, or main square of the city.  The most impressive sights in the plaza are two churches that reveal something about Cusco’s past.  

Standing  on the smooth stone steps of Cusco’s cathedral, it is easy to lose oneself in the context of history—to forget that this plaza has meant something radically different, to different people, throughout time.  We could see towering Spanish churches peak out over clay rooftops and between narrow streets.  We admired the green mountains and snow-capped peaks that envelope it all.  However, were we to have visited 600 years ago, we would have found a city that conveyed dissimilar values and beliefs.

                The Incas believed in three worlds:  the world of the living, the sky world, and the underworld of the dead.  They were represented by the jaguar, condor, and snake, respectively.  Thus, it should come as no surprise that they designed their city in the shape of the first of the three.  The jaguar’s head consisted of the great fortress, Sacsahuayman.  The sexual organs were the temple, Q’orikancha.  The heart was the royal palace—the location of what is now the cathedral.  Instead of stone steps, the Incas had covered the ground in crushed seashells from beaches found hundreds of miles away.  Yet, most incredibly, this empire and much of the city were built within a period of 100 years.  The forces that compelled them to undertake this profound project are beyond my comprehension.  

                Equally astounding is the compulsion seen in the conquest by the Spanish.  Rather than rebuilding the city, they simply built on top of it.  Spanish walls rest amount the more ancient constructions.  What was once the Incan temple of gold is now a temple populated by Dominican nuns.  Large parts of Sacsayhuaman have been scrapped for other projects.  The palace is now the sede of power for the ecclesial authority.  Viewed in this way, the details of the beliefs and values of the two cultures are different but, perhaps the forces were the same.  One power was removed; another replaced it and converted it to serve similar functions but under a different name.

                This city, which is a stone testament to the Wari, Incan, and Spanish peoples is perhaps an appropriate metaphor for Peruvian culture as a whole.  It tells the story of great minds and the power that possessed them.  It also shows a history of domination and repression.  Yet, in the end, all parts make up the whole.  Though we have spent much time studying the past of this place, it would be incomplete without understanding its connection to the present.